The latest Switch 2 system update will allow you to run original Switch games in handheld mode at the same resolutions and settings they would use while docked.
Credit:
Andrew Cunningham
Even with Handheld Mode Boost enabled, the Switch 2 still takes screenshots of Switch 1 games at 720p in handheld mode, making it difficult to capture screenshots that demonstrate the setting in action. But in the two unpatched Switch games we tested (Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Dragon Quest XI S), it worked as expected: both 2D and 3D elements were sharper, and things like draw distance and texture quality looked like they do in TV mode rather than handheld mode.
Nintendo points out several potential downsides to Handheld Mode Boost. Most obviously, running games at higher settings can increase the console’s power usage, which reduces battery life. And because the games “think” they’re running on a TV, you won’t be able to use the touchscreen, and attached Joy-Cons will register to the console as a single Pro Controller rather than a pair of Joy-Cons. Games that display different gameplay instructions when docked may also be affected.
Handheld Mode Boost doesn’t affect the performance of Switch 2 games, which already run at the built-in screen’s native 1080p resolution in handheld mode. It also presumably won’t affect Switch software that has been patched for the Switch 2, whether through a free developer update or a paid Nintendo Switch 2 Edition upgrade.